US Higher Education Glossary ABD (All But Dissertation) – a title used to describe a doctoral candidate that has completed all their coursework and exam requirements, but still needs to write their dissertation. Academic Advisor – a member of the faculty who provides advice and guidance on academic matters such as course selection. Academic Honesty – is the expectation that student’s work is their own and based on their own knowledge, ideas, and thoughts. It is the absence of cheating and plagiarism. USF takes this seriously and a student found guilty of academic dishonesty receives an FF on their transcript and it can never be removed. For more information, visit the following link: http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0001/adadap.htm. Academic Year – the academic year is broken into fall, spring, and summer semesters and runs August to July. To see USF’s academic calendar, visit http://www.registrar.usf.edu/enroll/regist/calendt.php. Accredited/Accreditation – the official recognition that a college or university meets the standards of regional or national organization. ACT – American College Test – a standardized test administered to students who want to be admitted into a college or university. It is designed to assess a student’s readiness for college-level academic work. Add/Drop – a process that allows students to change their course schedules by adding or dropping courses. Adjunct Faculty – part time-instructors at colleges and universities that are hired as needed (usually semester by semester) with no guarantees of continued employment. AP (Advanced Placement) – a national program of standardized classes offered to high school students. AP courses are college-level courses that allow students to earn college credits with a qualifying score on the end of course AP exam. Assistant Professor – untenured faculty on a tenure track. This is usually an entry-level position with a probationary period of approximately 5-6 years following the completion of a doctorate program. Associate Professor – tenured faculty at the intermediate level. Many faculty stay at this rank throughout their careers once it’s achieved. However, some strive for the rank of full professor. Associate's Degree – a degree that requires 60-80 specified credit hours which breaks down to approximately two years of study. It is awarded as Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS). Typically, associate degrees are awarded by community colleges. Asynchronous Learning – a type of distance learning offered through online courses with no requirements for students and instructors to interact face-to-face. University of South Florida | ATLE |[email protected] 1 ATLE - Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence; the teaching center on campus. Audit – taking a class to gain knowledge about a subject, without receiving a grade or credit toward a degree. Bachelor's Degree – a degree that requires 120+ specified credit which breaks down to approximately four years of study. It is awarded as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), or Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). Book Order – the process of choosing a textbook for a course and placing the order with the university book store. Book orders must be submitted no later than 30 days before the start of the semester. USF’s bookstore requires professors/instructors to use FacultyEnlight to place their book orders. College – the generic term that is used to refer to any post-secondary institution. Typically a college only provides an undergraduate education. College can also refer to an academic division of a university like College of Education. Click here to see a list of Colleges at USF. Commencement – a graduation ceremony that takes place in August, December, and May at USF. Click here for more information on USF commencement ceremonies. Community College – a public two-year postsecondary institution that offers two programs: a transfer program which consists of the first two years of a bachelor’s degree and a terminal program which consists of vocational training resulting in an associate’s degree. Comps – short for a comprehensive exam that is usually taken at the end of a Master’s degree program or at the end of coursework for doctoral students. The content, length, and time are determined by each department. Core Requirements/Core Curriculum – Mandatory general education, usually interdisciplinary, course requirements needed for the completion of a degree. Course – regularly scheduled class on a particular subject. Course Load – the number of courses/credit hours a student takes during a specific semester. Course Number – every course has an identification number that distinguishes it from other courses in a particular subject. Course numbers increase as the difficulty of the course increases. For example, at USF, PSY 2012 is an introductory psychology course and PSY 3213 is a higher level psychology course. Course Offerings – a list of courses offered during a specific semester. Credits/Credit Hours – units used by institutions to record the completion of courses (with a passing grade) in a degree program. University of South Florida | ATLE |[email protected] 2 CRN (Course Reference Number) – a unique number assigned to a course that is used by students to register for the course. Curriculum – a program of study made up of a set of courses offered by a degree program. CV (Curriculum Vitae) – a document that details your accomplishments similar to a resume, but longer. It is usually requested at academic institutions when applying for an academic position. Dean – the director or head of a division of a certain professional school or college of a university. Degree – a diploma or title awarded by a college or university to students after they have successfully completed a program of study. Department – the formal division of a school consisting of faculty and support staff responsible for instruction in a subject area. Discipline – an area of academic study. Dissertation – an in-depth thesis on an original topic of research that is typically submitted and presented in the final stage of earning a doctorate. Doctorate – the highest degree awarded by a university after the successful completion of an advanced graduate program of study. It usually requires three or more years of study beyond the master’s degree. Also referred to as a PhD. Drop – refers to the withdrawal of a student from a course that must be completed in a specified period of time depending on the college or university. Click here to read the guidelines specific to student drops at USF. Dual Degree – a program of study that allows a student to concurrently earn two degrees from the same college or university. Electives – are courses students can take for credit toward their degree, but are not part of the required course list. Enroll – to register or enter a school or course. Exempt – not required to do something that other students may be required to do. Faculty – the instructional staff of an educational institution. FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) – the application used by the US government to determine the amount of financial aid a student will receive in a given year. Students must reapply every year they attend a college or university. International students are not eligible. University of South Florida | ATLE |[email protected] 3 Fees – an amount of money charged by schools, in addition to tuition, to cover institutional costs. Fellowship – a study grant or financial assistance awarded by varying institutions such as educational institutions, the government, research centers, and hospitals. They are usually awarded to graduate and doctoral students and are based on academic achievement. Final Exam- a course based assessment taken at the end of a semester or term during finals week. See USF’s academic calendar for specific dates. Financial Aid – a general term that includes all types of money offered to students to help them pay tuition, fees, and other educational expenses. Click here for more information on financial aid at USF. Freshman – a student in their first year of attendance at a high school or college/university. Full Professor - refers to the rank of a tenured faculty member that has advanced beyond the associate professor level. Full-time Student – a student taking 12 or more credit hours at the undergraduate level and 9 or more hours at the graduate level. Click here to see USF’s policy on enrollment status. GA (Graduate Assistant) – a graduate student employed part-time to assist faculty in teaching, grading, and meeting with students. GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) – a standardized test required for admission into graduate programs in business. GPA (Grade Point Average) – a system of recording a student’s overall academic performance as a numerical average. A GPA is on a 4.0 scale and calculated at the end of each term/semester with an overall GPA calculated upon graduation. Grades – a score or mark (ie. A,B,C,D,F) indicating a student’s academic performance on an assessment, paper, or in a course. See USF’s grading system for more information. Graduate Course – a credit course that is applied toward a graduate degree like a master’s or doctorate. Graduate School – the division of a college or university which offers graduate programs that result in a master’s degree, doctorate, or graduate certificate. Click here for more information on graduate programs at USF. Graduate Student – a student that already has an undergraduate degree and is enrolled in an advanced studies program leading to a master’s or doctorate degree. Grant – a type of financial aid that does not require repayment and is given to students by the federal or state government, company, school, or charity. University of South Florida | ATLE |[email protected] 4 GRE (Graduate Record Examination) – a standardized test that is required for admission into a graduate degree program.